WINNIPEG – Mathieu Perreault scored twice as the Winnipeg Jets defeated the San Jose Sharks 4-1 on Sunday afternoon to extend their home winning streak to five games.
Winnipeg (25-11-7), the Central Division leaders with 57 points, moved three points ahead of the Nashville Predators with the victory and improved to 16-3-1 at Bell MTS Place.
The Jets opened the scoring midway through the first period after Matt Hendricks was sent in all alone on the breakaway. He beat San Jose goaltender Martin Jones glove side on the backhand for his fourth goal of the season and third point in four games.
Winnipeg made it 2-0 midway through the second period after Marko Dano deflected a Jacob Trouba point shot. It was his second goal of the season.
RELATED: Toby Enstrom ready to return for Winnipeg Jets
Logan Couture scored San Jose’s only goal on the power play. The Jets had held off the Sharks for over a minute of 5-on-3 play before Couture notched his 16th of the season and first goal since Dec. 9.
Perreault restored Winnipeg’s two-goal cushion with a power-play goal late in the second period. He added an empty-netter late in the third, giving him 12 goals on the season. Andrew Copp and Tyler Myers each had two assists for the Jets.
Winnipeg goaltender Connor Hellebuyck made 31 saves while Jones finished with 26 stops in the loss.
With an assist on Perreault’s power-play goal, Winnipeg captain Blake Wheeler extended his point-scoring streak to six games. He moved to centre after Mark Scheifele was injured last month and has eight points over five games since switching positions.
The Jets will kick off a four-game road trip Tuesday at Buffalo. The Sharks are off until Saturday’s home game against Arizona.
WATCH: Winnipeg Jets Post Game Reaction
RELATED: Winnipeg Jets pick up point in fifth straight game with 4-3 win over Buffalo Sabres